Report of the Commission to Assess
United States National Security,
Space Management and Organization

The Commission to Assess United States National Security Space Management
and Organization was established pursuant to Public Law 106-65,
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000, Section
1622.

The
security and economic well being of the United States and its
alliesand friends depend on the
nationís ability to operate successfully in space. To be
able to contribute to peace and stability in a distinctly
different but still dangerous and complex global environment, the
U.S. needs to remain at the forefront in space, technologically
and operationally, as we have in the air, on land and at sea.
Specifically, the U.S. must have the capability to use space as an
integral part of its ability to manage crises, deter conflicts
and, if deterrence fails, to prevail in conflict.

This chapter describes the
principal organizations involved in national security space
activities, concentrating on the Executive Office of the
President, the Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community
and the Congress.

A number of issues transcend
organizational approaches and are important to the ability of the
U.S. to achieve its objectives in space. These are issues that the
national leadership, the Department of Defense and the
Intelligence Community should address in the near term,
irrespective of particular organizational arrangements that may be
pursued. Resolution of them would both benefit and support
organizational changes.

The members of this Commission
have, together, identified five matters of key importance that we
believe need attention quickly from the top levels of the U.S.
Government. We have drawn these conclusions from six months of
assessing U.S. national security space activities, including 32
days of meetings with 77 present and former senior officials and
knowledgeable private sector representatives.